As is well known, the removal of garbage or trash (hereinafter garbage) from densely populated locations presents considerable difficulties due to the large amount of garbage normally accumulating in such areas. Attempts have been made to remedy this difficulty by compressing or compacting the garbage into blocks prior to transporting the garbage to the garbage disposal areas or garbage burning plants which frequently are situated at considerable distances from the garbage collecting areas. These compressed or compacted blocks are inserted into large-size containers which are then being transported to the garbage disposal areas or plants. It will be appreciated that due to the densified or compressed form of the garbage material, the transportation is considerably facilitated in this form.
However, even garbage transportation in the manner described above causes considerable difficulties. These difficulties primarily are based on the fact that garbage is a non-homogeneous material which varies widely in respect of its density and capability of being compressed or compacted. Thus, one batch of garbage may have a composition or nature entirely different from that of another batch and, as stated, the compressibility of the various batches may vary within large limit values. This fact makes it extremely difficult to satisfy the requirements for producing the compressed blocks and their further transportation in containers. On the one hand, it will be appreciated, the containers proper should, of course, be relatively light and inexpensive and thus are not capable of withstanding significant stresses and abuse during transport. On the other hand, container volume and the load weight which the container is capable of carrying without being damaged, should be utilized to the fullest extent. Another factor which has to be considered is that, for reason of traffic safety, the axles of the vehicles on which the containers are transported should be subjected to substantially uniformly distributed loads.
A container would satisfy these requirements which is filled as completely as possible or which is filled symmetrically with garbage blocks all of which have substantially the same density and wherein the total weight of the blocks does not exceed the permissible load capacity of the respective container.
Known devices and arrangements for the production of blocks from compressed or compacted garbage do not satisfy the above-mentioned requirements or at least satisfy such requirements in an imperfect manner only. Such known arrangements and devices are disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,160,460 and in the German Gebrauchsmuster No. 6,806,488. Essentially they consist of a horizontally extending press box into which opens up a filling shaft or hopper from the top, transverse to the direction of compression. A press ram is movably arranged in this press box. The material which is filled through the hopper or shaft into the box and after having passed the shaft opening is compressed or compacted by the press ram. The compression or densification is accomplished by the ram at always the same press force against a closure plate which is transversely movable. In this manner, compressed blanks or blocks are produced which, after opening of the closure plate, are pushed by the press ram into a container arranged beyond the press box. The operation is continued until the compressed or densified blocks which are inserted into the container, offer the press ram a predetermined press resistance.
The main disadvantage of such known arrangements resides in the fact that the compressed or compacted blocks which are pushed into the container one above the other, may have greatly different densities so that the basic requirement as set forth above and compliance with which is critical, is not satisfied.